Snubbed resilient coupler carrier



Oct. 3, 1961 G. F. coucH SNUBBED RESILIENT COUPLER CARRIER Filed Oct. 17, 1958 Ju l FIG. 2

'lvlll Ill/51445114151111 Inventor: Glenn F. Couch By @JJZM M;

his Attorney 50 FIG. 4

United States Patent() 3,002,633 SNUBBED RESILIENT COUPLER CARRIER Glenn F. Couch, Bergen, N.Y., assiguor to Symington Wayne Corporation, Salisbury, Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed Oct. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 767,854 19 Claims. (Cl. 213-61) This invention relates to resilient coupler carriers and has for its primary object the provision of a coupler carrier which not only is resilient but is frictionally snubbed to control its action.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved resilient coupler carrier having inbuilt snubbing means for inhibiting the development of periodic oscillations in its spring means.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a resilient coupler carrier having a carrier member which is both supported on and yieldably resisted in upward movement by coil springs, wherein oscillation of the springs is damped by inbuilt friction snubbing means.

A further object of the invention is to provide snubbing means which in any of its preferred forms may be applied to a standard type of resilient coupler carrier and in at least one of its forms may be so applied with a minimum of modification of the carrier.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a resilient coupler carrier embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1 and showing one form of the snubbing means of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken centrally of the coupler carrier of FIGURE 1 and on the scale of FIGURE 2 showing another form of the snubbing means of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the snubber of FIGURE FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a view on the scale and section of FIG- URE 5 showing a third form of the snubber of the present invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, the resilient coupler carrier in which the present invention is embodied may be of any type in which a carrier member is resiliently supported on or suspended from a second member and adaptable to be fitted with means movable with one of the members and yieldably urgeable into frictional engagement with a surface movable with the other member for snubbing the relative movement of the members, the term snubbing as herein used connoting checking or braking. As exemplary of such applications, a resilient coupler carrier of the type standardized for use with the A.A.R. Standard Type H passenger car coupler has been converted into a snubbed resilient coupler carrier by embodying in it each of the preferred forms of the snubbing means of this invention.

Designated generally as 1, the illustrated resilient couantes pler carrier is designed for connection to a railway car (not shown) by a casting 2 fastened to the car frame (not shown) and having a top crosspiece 3 from which depend a pair of vertically directed, transversely spaced columns 4, the latter being connected at their lower extremities by a transverse, cross or support bar or beam 5 of I section bolted or otherwise secured at its ends to the columns. Defining with the top cross-piece 3 and columns 4 a coupler opening 6 through which projects the shank 7 of the associated type H coupler (not otherwise shown), the support bar 5 mounts or supports on its top flange 8 a saddle, shifter or support member 9 forming part of the coupler carrier 1 and releasably locked to and slidable transversely of the coupler opening 6 on that flange. In addition to the saddle member 9, the coupler carrier includes a coupler support or support or carrier member 10 on which the shank 7 of the coupler is supported and spring means 11 for supporting the support member on the saddle member and yieldably resisting relative vertical movement therebetween.

In the illustrated coupler carrier, each of the saddle and support members is substantially U-shap-ed in front elevation, the saddle member 9 having a substantially horizontally disposed, intermediate base or base portion 12 and a pair of upright or vertically directed, transversely or laterally spaced housings or arms 13 integral with and upstanding from opposite sides of the base 12 and each containing an upwardly and inwardly opening pocket 14. The support member 10, in turn, has an intermediate shelf or web portion 15 having a substantially flat horizontally directed upper face 16 engageable with the shank either directly or, preferably, through the interposed wear plate 17 fixed or secured, as by welding, to the shelf. Formed integrally with and bounding the opposite sides of the shelf 15 of the support member 10 is a pair of transversely spaced, upright, upstanding or vertically directed arms 18, each containing an outwardly and downwardly opening pocket 19. The arms 18 of the support member 10 are straddled or embraced by and each housed and movable vertically in the pocket 14 in one of the housings 13 of the saddle member 9. Together, the adjoining pockets i4 and 19 in the two members form a spring pocket for housing or containing a coil or like supporting spring 29 which, with its counterpart at the opposite side of the saddle member, resiliently or yieldably supports the support member 10 and through the latters shelf 15 normally supports the coupler at coupling height.

With each of the supporting springs 2t} interposed between and acting against confronting, vertically spaced seats 21 and 22, respectively, on a horizontally disposed wall 23 of the pocket 14 in the associated housing 13 and a correspondingly disposed top wall 24 of the pocket 19 in the associated arm x18, the support member 10 conveniently is limited in upward movement relative to the saddle member 9 under force of the supporting springs by a pair of vertically directed, connecting or limiting bolts 25, each concentric with one of the supporting springs 20 and the associated spring pocket and having its head 26 received in a downwardly opening aperture 27 in the bottom Wall 23 of the associated housing 13. Extending upwardly through the bottom wall 23 and projecting above the top wall 24 on the associated arm 18 defining the upper limit of the pocket 19 there- 3 in, each bolt carries at its upper end a nut 28 against which the arm reacts to limit upward movement of the support member 10.

In the form of coupler carrier standard for the type H coupler, the nuts 28, instead of being directly engageable with the top walls 24 on the arms 18, react thereagainst through interposed coil or like auxiliary or supplementary springs 25 each encircling the stem 36 of one of the bolts and seated in an upwardly opening, substantially cylindrical socket 31 in a casing or container 32 integral with and depending from the top wall 24 of the associated arm 18. Serving with a boss 33 upstanding from the'bottom wall 23 to center each supporting spring in its seats 21 and 22 and, as is the boss 33, axially bored to pass the stem 30 of the bolt 25, each of the sockets 31 normally has a flat bottom wall 34, such as shown in FIGURE 2, the associated supplementary spring 29 between the Wall 24 and a washer 35 encircling the bolt stem 30 beneath the nut 28 in yieldably resisting upward movement of the support member 10 under force of the supporting springs 20. While the supporting and supplementary springs 29 and set in opposition in cushioning upward and downward movement of the support member relative to the saddle member, it is practically impossible with this arrangement to prevent some bouncing of the coupler in service due to the development of periodic oscillations in the nested pairs of springs 20 and 29. However, such bouncing of the coupler and the consequent potential damage to the coupler carrier 1 and associated structure is completely eliminated by the snubbing means of this invention.

Of the three illustrated forms of snubbing means, that of FIGURE 2 requires no modification of the support member or the spring arrangement between the support member and the saddle member but does entail some modification of the housings 14 of the saddle member. According to this first embodiment, the upstanding wall 36 of each of the housings 13, instead of being uninterrupted, is bulged outwardly, as at 37, intermediate its vertical extremities and preferably at the rear to provide a cavity, pocket or socket 38 opening inwardly onto and sloping, oblique or angularly disposed relative to the pocket 14. Each cavity 38 preferably is cylindrical in cross-section and in it slidably fits or seats a friction shoe or wedge 39 of corresponding cross-sectionhaving a substantially vertically directed outer or friction surface 41 on a correspondingly disposed wall 42 of the adjoining or associated arm 18 of the support member 10.

Preferably arcuately concave to conform in configuration to the friction surface 41 on the arm 18, the friction face 4%) on the shoe 39 is urged into frictional engagement with that surface by spring or resilient means, here in the form of a coil spring 413 partly socketed in the outer end 44 of and acting longitudinally on the shoe 39 and hearing or reacting against the oblique or inclined outer wall 45 of the bulge 37. Since the friction face 40 and surface 41 are held in constant engagement by the spring 43, the spring-urged friction shoe 39 is effective at all times to exert friction against and thus snub upward or downward movement of the support member 10 relative to the saddle member 9 under force of the supporting or auxiliary springs, 20 or 29, respectively. Assembly or disassembly of the coupler carrier, modified in this manner, may be facilitated by providing transverse holes 46 in the bulge 37 and shoe 39 alignable or registerable on retraction of the shoe into the cavity for receiving a temporary assembly pin, indicated at 47, removal of the pin after assembly permitting the shoe to be projected out of the cavity and engage with its friction face 40 the friction surface 41 on the arm 18 and thereafter perform its intended function of snubbing relative movement of the support and saddle members.

Of the remaining illustrated forms of snubbing means, that of FIGURES 4 and 5 requires shortening of the auxiliary springs 29 and modification of the bottom walls 34 of the sockets 31 in the arms 18in which these springs seat. The extent of the latter modification is to replace the conventional fiat upper surface of this socket by a frusto-conical wedging surface 48 encircling the stem 35 of the associated bolt 25 and against which is adapted to bear a correspondingly configured wedging face 49 on an annular wedge 50 seated in the bottom of the socket 31 below the auxiliary spring 29 and collaring, girdling or encircling the stem 30. With its wedging face 49 formed on its lower end portion and an outstanding annular flange 51 at its upper end portion on which the confronting lower end of the auxiliary spring 22 seats, the annular wedge 50 has a cylindrical inner or friction face 52 engageable with the stem 30, the surface 53 of which here serves as a friction surface.

As will be noted from FIGURES 4- and 5, the annular wedge 50 is in the form of an axially split ring or ferrule with the spacing between its contiguous edges 54- such that its friction face 52 is constantly urged into frictional engagement with the friction surface 53 on the stem 36 and its flexibility or bendability increased by radially slotting the wedge 50 and flange 51, as at 55, outwardly of the face 52. Thus, although they utilize the auxiliary springs 29 to urge them into frictional engagement and depend on the associated bolts 25 both as the reactances forthe springs and to provide the cooperating friction surfaces, the annular wedges of this modificationalso are elfective in snubbing both upward and downward movements of the support member 10 relative to the saddle member 9.

The third embodiment of the snubbing means shown in FIGURE 6 is the simplest of all in its adaptation to the standard form of carrier for the type H coupler, requiring only shortening of the auxiliary springs 29 or corresponding lengthening of the connecting bolts 25. Adapted to fit in the conventional flat-bottomed socket 31 shown in FIGURE 2, the snubbing means of this embodiment is comprised of a pair of cylindrical or annular upper and lower wedge followers 56 having oppositely tapered or sloping frusto-conical confronting or inner wedging surfaces 57 and flat opposing or outer surfaces 58 and a friction wedge or shoe 59 spacing the followers and provided over either end portion with a wedging face 60 corresponding in configuration to and engageable with the contiguous wedging surface 57 on one of the followers 56. Split axially in the same manner as the friction shoe 59 of the second embodiment and, along with the wedge followers 56 collaring, girdling or encircling the stem 39 of the associated bolt 25, the friction shoe 59 of this embodiment also is adapted to seat in the bottom of one of the sockets 31 below the associated auxiliary spring 29 and, by its cylindrical inner or friction face 61, frictiona1- 1y engage the friction surface 53 on the bolt stem 30. Except that the function of the integral wedging surface 4-8 at the bottom of the socket 31 in the embodiment of FIGURES 3-5 is here performed by the wedging surface 57 on the bottom follower 56 and a wedging action is exerted on its friction shoe by both followers, this erabodiments operation is the same as that of the preceding embodiment.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved resilient coupler carrier embodying snubbing'means for snubbing relative vertical'movement of its coupler carrying and supporting members under all service conditions. It should be understoodthat the described and disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member and a carrier member resiliently supported thereon, of a friction shoe movable with one of said members and urged into frictional engagement with a friction surface movable with said other member gangsta for snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

2. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member and a carrier member resiliently supported thereon, of a friction shoe carried by and movable with one of said members and having a friction face, attached for movement with said other member and having a friction surface confronting said friction face, and means for urging said friction face and surface into frictional engagement for snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

3. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member and a carrier member resiliently supported thereon, of a friction shoe carried by and movable with one of said members and having a friction face, attached for movement with said other member and having a friction surface confronting said friction face, and spring means acting longitudinally of said friction shoe for urging said friction face and surface into frictional engagement and snubbing relative vertical movement of said members.

4. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member movable vertically relative to said supporting member, spring means acting between and yieldably resisting said relative movement of said supporting and carrier members, and means for limiting relative upward movement of said members, of a frictlon shoe movable with one of said members and urged into frictional engagement with a friction surface movable with said other member for snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

5. in a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member having a housing, a carrier member having means projecting into said housing, and spring means in said housing and acting on said projecting means for resiliently supporting said carrier member on said supporting member, of an inwardly opening socket in a side of said housing and confronting a friction surface carried by said projecting means, friction shoe means seated in said socket and having a friction face engageable with said friction surface, and spring means in said socket and acting on said friction shoe mean for urging said face into frictional engagement with said surface and snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

6. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member having an upwardly opening housing, a carrier member having means projecting into said housing, and spring means in said housing and acting on said projecting means for resiliently supporting said carrier member on said supporting member, of a friction surface carried by said projecting means, an inwardly opening socket in said housing and confronting and disposed at an angle to said friction surface, friction shoe means in said socket and having a friction face engageable with said friction surface, and spring means in said socket and acting on said friction shoe means for urging said face into frictional engagement with said surface and snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

7. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member having an upwardly opening housing and a carrier member having means projecting into said housing, and spring means in said housing and acting on said projecting means for resiliently supporting said carrier member on said supporting member, of a friction surface carried by said projecting means, an inwardly opening socket in said housing and confronting and disposed at an angle to said friction surface, friction shoe means in said socket and having a friction face engageable with said friction surface, spring means in said socket and acting on said friction shoe means for urging said face into frictional engagement with said surface and snubbing relative vertical movement between said members, and means operative during assembly and disassem- 6 bly of said carrier for holding said friction shoe means in retracted position in said socket.

8. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member, a carrier member, means on said carrier member extending into and movable vertically relative to said housing, and spring means in said housing and acting on said carrier member for resiliently supporting said carrier member on said supporting member, of a vertically directed friction surface on said projecting means, an inwardly opening socket in said housing and confronting and disposed at an angle to said friction surface, friction shoe means in said socket and having a friction face engageable with said friction surface, and spring means in said socket and acting on said friction shoe means for urging said face into frictional engagement with said surface and snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

9. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member having an upwardly opening housing, a carrier member having means projecting into said housing, and spring means in said housing and acting on said projecting means for resiliently supporting said carrier member on said supporting member, of a friction surface carried by said projecting means, an inwardly opening socket in said housing and confronting and oblique to said friction surface, friction shoe means in said socket and having a vertically directed friction face engageable with said friction surface, and spring means in said socket and acting on said friction shoe means for urging said face into frictional engagement with said surface and snubbing relative vertical movement between said members.

10. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member movable vertically relative to said supporting member, spring means acting between and yieldably resisting said relative movement of said supporting and carrier members, and means for limiting relative upward movementof said members, of a friction surface carried by said limiting means, and friction shoe means carried by one of said members and having a friction face resiliently urged into engagement with said friction surface for snubbing said relative vertical movement between said members.

11. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member movable vertically relative to said supporting member, spring means acting between and yieldably resisting said relative movement of said supporting and carrier members, and means for limiting relative upward movement of said members, of a friction surface on said limiting means, a wedging surface carried by said carrier member, wedge means carried by said carrier member and having a friction face engageable with said friction surface and a wedging face engageable with said wedging surface, and spring means acting on said wedge means for urging said wedge means on said wedging surface and said friction face thereof into frictional engagement with said. friction surface and thereby snubbing said relative movement of said members.

12. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member movable vertically relative to said supporting member, spring means acting between and yieldably resisting said relative movement of said supporting and carrier members, and means for limiting relative upward movement of said members, of a friction surface on said limiting means, a wedging surface carried by said carrier member, wedge means carried by said carrier member and having a friction face engageable with said friction surface and a wedging face engageable with said wedging surface, and spring means acting between said limiting andwedge means for urging said wedge means on said wedging surface and said friction face thereof into frictional engage ment with said friction surface and thereby snubbing said relative movement of said members.

13. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member and opening toward said carrier member, an arm on said carrier member and extending into said housing, supporting spring means in said housing and acting on said arm for resiliently supporting said carrier member for relative vertical movement on said supporting member, a container on said arm and having an upwardly opening socket, auxiliary spring means in said socket, and a bolt anchored at its lower end to said housing and extending axially through said supporting and auxiliary spring means and said container for limiting upward relative movement of said members, of wedge means interposed between said auxiliary spring means and a bottom wall of said container and collaring and having a friction face engageable with said bolt, and a wedging surface in said container and cooperating with said auxiliary spring means for wedging said friction face into frictional engagement with said bolt and snubbing said relative vertical movement of said members.

14. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member and opening toward said carrier member, an arm on said carrier member and extending into said housing, supporting spring means in said housing and acting on said arm for resiliently supporting said carrier member for relative vertical movement on said supporting member, a container on said arm and having an upwardly opening socket, auxiliary spring means in said socket, and a bolt anchored at its lower end to said housing and extending axially through said supporting and auxiliary spring means and said container for limiting upward relative movement of said member, of wedge means interposed between said auxiliary spring means and a bottom wall of said container and collaring and having a friction face engageable with said bolt, and a wedging surface on a bottom wall of said container and cooperating with said auxiliary spring means for wedging said friction face into frictional engagement with said bolt and snubbing said relative vertical movement of said members.

15. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member and opening to ward said carrier member, an arm on said carrier member and extending into said housing, supporting spring means in said housing and acting on said arm for resiliently supporting said carrier member for relative vertical movement on said supporting member, a container on said arm and having an upwardlyopening socket, auxiliary spring means in said socket, and a bolt anchored at its lower end to said housing and extending axially through said supporting and auxiliary spring means and said container for limiting upward relative movement of said members, of wedge means interposed between said auxiliary spring means and a bottom wall of said container and collaring and having a friction face engageable with said bolt, and a frusto-conical wedging surface in said container and cooperating with said auxiliary spring means for wedging said friction face into frictional engagement with said bolt and snubbing said relative vertical movement of said members.

16. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member and opening toward said carrier member, an arm on said carrier member and extending into said housing, supporting spring means in said housing and acting on said arm for. resiliently supporting said carrier member for relative vertical movement on said supporting member, a container on said arm and having an upwardly opening socket, auxiliary spring means in said socket, and a bolt anchored at its lower end to said housing and extending axially through said supporting and auxiliary spring means and said con tainer for limiting upward relative movement of said mem bers, of an axially split annular wedge in said container between a bottom wall thereof and said auxiliary spring means and collaring and having a friction face engageable with said bolt, a frusto-conical wedging face on said wedge outwardly of said friction face, and a frusto-conical wedging surface in said container and confronting said wedging face, said wedging surface cooperating with said auxiliary spring means for urging said friction face on said wedge into frictional engagement with said bolt and thereby snubbing said relative vertical movement of said members.

17. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member and opening toward said carrier member, an arm on said carrier member and extending into said housing, supporting spring means in said housing and acting on said arm for resiliently supporting said carrier member for relative vertical movement on said supporting member, a container on said arm and having an upwardly opening socket, auxiliary spring means in said socket, and a bolt anchored at its lower end to said housing and extending axially through said supporting and auxiliary spring means and said container for limiting upward relative movement of said members, of an axially split annular wedge in said container between a bottom wall thereof and said auxiliary spring means and collaring and having a friction face engageable with said bolt, a downwardly facing frusto-conical wedging face and an annular flange, respectively, on lower and upper portions of said wedge outwardly of said friction face, and a wedging surface formed in a bottom wall of said container and engaged by said wedging face, said auxiliary spring means acting on said flange and through said wedging face and surface for urging said friction face into frictional engagement with said bolt and thereby snubbing said relative vertical movement between said members.

18. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member, a housing upstanding from said supporting member and opening toward said carrier member, an arm on said carrier member and extending into said housing, supporting spring means in said housing and acting on said arm for resiliently supporting said carrier member for relative vertical movement on said supporting member, a container on said arm and having an upwardly opening socket, auxiliary spring means in said socket, and a bolt anchored at its lower end to said housing and extending axially through said supporting and auxiliary spring means and said container for limiting upward relative movement of said members, of annular upper and lower wedge followers in said container between a bottom wall thereof and said auxiliary spring means and collaring said bolt, an axially split annular wedge collaring said bolt between said followers and having a friction face engageable with said bolt and oppositely facing frusto-conical wedging faces at opposite end portions thereof and engaging correspondingly configured wedging surfaces on said followers, said auxiliary spring means seating on one of said followers and acting against said bottom Wall and through said wedging faces and surfaces for urging said friction face of said wedge into frictional engagement with said bolt and thereby snubbing said relative vertical movement of said members.

19. In a resilient coupler carrier, the combination with a supporting member, a carrier member movable vertically relative to said supporting member, spring means resiliently supporting said carrier member on said supporting member, and bolt means for limiting relative upward movement of said members, of an axially split an nular wedge collaring a stem of said bolt, a wedging surface encircling said stem and movable relative to one of said members, a wedging face on said wedge and engaging said wedging surface, and spring means acting on said wedge and reacting against said other member for urging said friction face into frictional engagement with said bolt and thereby snubbing said relative vertical 5 movement of said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,320,619 Larsson June 1, 1943 10 

